Two dog owners are desperately searching for answers after their dogs went missing while at a doggy day care facility.The owners told WPBF their dogs were staying at the Big Max & Friends pet-sitting facility when they received a call from the business owner that the dogs couldn’t be found.Louie the French Bulldog Louie, a 3-year-old French Bulldog, was reported missing Wednesday. His owners, Domenic and Samantha Iacovone, said he’s been going to Big Max & Friends for years. “He loved going. He went, like, every day, and he’s been going every day for the past two years,” Samantha said. She said she received a call Wednesday that the owner was running behind in dropping Louie off because she couldn’t find him. The owner told Samantha they had been on a walk through the trails on the property and when they returned, Louie wasn’t with them.”I think she was, like, walking ahead of her dog and Louie, and when she turned back around, her dog came around the corner, but Louie didn’t,” she said.Samantha said she remembers feeling sick when she heard he was lost. “My stomach dropped, obviously. I was just hoping that she would be able to find him and then when she called me back and said she couldn’t find him, that was when I had my husband go out there and meet her,” she said.They searched all night and the following day but found no signs of Louie. “She lives in the woods, and it’s between like 95 and the Turnpike, so he really could have gone anywhere. I’m just trying to hope for the best and be positive and hope that somebody found him, and they’ll see that I’m offering a reward for him and just give him back,” Samantha told WPBF. She said she’s frustrated that the person she trusted to watch her dog ended up being the one to lose him.”I’m mad obviously. Like, I’m upset, and it’s like, I trusted her with my child basically,” she said.However, Samantha doesn’t feel any ill intentions were behind it and she doesn’t hold anything against the owner. “I truly believe that Vicky cares about the dogs. I’ve never had a bad experience with her. I know that Louie literally would wait out the door and run to her every single morning. He really loved going and I truly believe in her heart, she loves dogs and she’s really like devastated,” Samantha said. She said the owner has been helping them in their search for Louie and she feels this was just an accident.Louie going missing comes at an already hard time for their family after their home was robbed while they were out of town just a month before. “It’s definitely weird that all of this is happening at one time, and I even said to my husband, I feel like somebody is targeting us or something. It’s so bizarre,” Samantha said.Ralph the English BulldogLouie isn’t the first dog to go missing under the care of Big Max & Friends. Roughly 10 months ago, in May 2024, an English Bulldog named Ralph disappeared. Ralph’s owner, John Mannino, said he’s still heartbroken over it. “He was a little over a year at the time, and actually, tomorrow’s his birthday, and he’ll be 2 years old, so I’m hoping that if he is still alive, I hope that they’re taking good care of him, especially tomorrow,” Mannino said.Mannino said they dropped Ralph off on a Wednesday and received a call just one day later that he was gone. “We thought it was the right thing to do that he would be with just four other dogs supposedly and with constant supervision, and it turned out to be a nightmare. It was a disaster. I regret it every day,” he told WPBF.Mannino said all this time later and he’s still not sure how Ralph went missing in the first place. At one point, he said he was told Ralph got out after a door was left opened, but said the story kept changing.”She was paid a job to watch the dog, that’s what her career and business is supposed to be. To see this is just, it’s terrible. It’s just not acceptable. It’s not acceptable that this can happen again,” Mannino said. He spent months passing out flyers and searching for Ralph, but he never turned up. “I’m not going to move on because it’s still an unknown. It’s an unknown,” he said.Help find Louie and RalphMannino and the Iacovones are each offering a $10,000 reward for Ralph and Louie’s safe returns. WPBF 25 News spoke with the owner of Big Max & Friends who declined to comment. As of Friday afternoon, the business’ social media accounts and its website have been taken down. Anyone with information on Ralph’s whereabouts should call or text 916-886-9393.Anyone with information on Louie’s whereabouts should call or text 954-647-4852.Top Headlines:EXCLUSIVE – Daughter of nurse savagely beaten in hospital questions why dangerous psychiatric patient admittedGet the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
Two dog owners are desperately searching for answers after their dogs went missing while at a doggy day care facility.
The owners told WPBF their dogs were staying at the Big Max & Friends pet-sitting facility when they received a call from the business owner that the dogs couldn’t be found.
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Louie the French Bulldog
Louie, a 3-year-old French Bulldog, was reported missing Wednesday. His owners, Domenic and Samantha Iacovone, said he’s been going to Big Max & Friends for years.
“He loved going. He went, like, every day, and he’s been going every day for the past two years,” Samantha said.
She said she received a call Wednesday that the owner was running behind in dropping Louie off because she couldn’t find him. The owner told Samantha they had been on a walk through the trails on the property and when they returned, Louie wasn’t with them.
“I think she was, like, walking ahead of her dog and Louie, and when she turned back around, her dog came around the corner, but Louie didn’t,” she said.
Samantha said she remembers feeling sick when she heard he was lost.
“My stomach dropped, obviously. I was just hoping that she would be able to find him and then when she called me back and said she couldn’t find him, that was when I had my husband go out there and meet her,” she said.
They searched all night and the following day but found no signs of Louie.
“She lives in the woods, and it’s between like 95 and the Turnpike, so he really could have gone anywhere. I’m just trying to hope for the best and be positive and hope that somebody found him, and they’ll see that I’m offering a reward for him and just give him back,” Samantha told WPBF.
She said she’s frustrated that the person she trusted to watch her dog ended up being the one to lose him.
“I’m mad obviously. Like, I’m upset, and it’s like, I trusted her with my child basically,” she said.
However, Samantha doesn’t feel any ill intentions were behind it and she doesn’t hold anything against the owner.
“I truly believe that Vicky cares about the dogs. I’ve never had a bad experience with her. I know that Louie literally would wait out the door and run to her every single morning. He really loved going and I truly believe in her heart, she loves dogs and she’s really like devastated,” Samantha said.
She said the owner has been helping them in their search for Louie and she feels this was just an accident.
Louie going missing comes at an already hard time for their family after their home was robbed while they were out of town just a month before.
“It’s definitely weird that all of this is happening at one time, and I even said to my husband, I feel like somebody is targeting us or something. It’s so bizarre,” Samantha said.
Ralph the English Bulldog
Louie isn’t the first dog to go missing under the care of Big Max & Friends. Roughly 10 months ago, in May 2024, an English Bulldog named Ralph disappeared.
Ralph’s owner, John Mannino, said he’s still heartbroken over it.
“He was a little over a year at the time, and actually, tomorrow’s his birthday, and he’ll be 2 years old, so I’m hoping that if he is still alive, I hope that they’re taking good care of him, especially tomorrow,” Mannino said.
Mannino said they dropped Ralph off on a Wednesday and received a call just one day later that he was gone.
“We thought it was the right thing to do that he would be with just four other dogs supposedly and with constant supervision, and it turned out to be a nightmare. It was a disaster. I regret it every day,” he told WPBF.
Mannino said all this time later and he’s still not sure how Ralph went missing in the first place. At one point, he said he was told Ralph got out after a door was left opened, but said the story kept changing.
“She was paid a job to watch the dog, that’s what her career and business is supposed to be. To see this is just, it’s terrible. It’s just not acceptable. It’s not acceptable that this can happen again,” Mannino said.
He spent months passing out flyers and searching for Ralph, but he never turned up.
“I’m not going to move on because it’s still an unknown. It’s an unknown,” he said.
Help find Louie and Ralph
Mannino and the Iacovones are each offering a $10,000 reward for Ralph and Louie’s safe returns.
WPBF 25 News spoke with the owner of Big Max & Friends who declined to comment. As of Friday afternoon, the business’ social media accounts and its website have been taken down.
Anyone with information on Ralph’s whereabouts should call or text 916-886-9393.
Anyone with information on Louie’s whereabouts should call or text 954-647-4852.
Top Headlines:
EXCLUSIVE – Daughter of nurse savagely beaten in hospital questions why dangerous psychiatric patient admitted
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
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